Module 3: Bud, Not Buddy

Full Citation

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacorte, 1999. Print.


Summary


The year is 1936, the place is Flint, Michigan, and the hero is 10-year-old Bud Caldwell. Bud ("not Buddy," as the title says and the book repeatedly emphasizes) has been living in an orphanage since he was six, when his mother died. After escaping from an abusive foster family, Bud decides to head out to Grand Rapids, with only his treasured suitcase and "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself" in tow, in search of famous musician Herman E. Calloway, who he believes is his father. Finding Calloway, however, is only the beginning...

My Impressions


This book, published in 1999, is a "new classic" in every sense of the word. It follows a lovable, relatable young hero through a series of events both hilarious and dramatic. It always provides a picture of life during the Great Depression, a time in American history that has particular resonance today as foreclosures and job losses once again seem all around us. This Newbery and Coretta Scott King winner is a must-have for any public, school, or home library for its memorable characters and satisfying story.


What Other Reviewers Said 

As in his Newbery Honor-winning debut, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, Curtis draws on a remarkable and disarming mix of comedy and pathos, this time to describe the travails and adventures of a 10-year-old African-American orphan in Depression-era Michigan. Bud is fed up with the cruel treatment he has received at various foster homes, and after being locked up for the night in a shed with a swarm of angry hornets, he decides to run away. His goal: to reach the man he, on the flimsiest of evidence, believes to be his father, jazz musician Herman E. Calloway. Relying on his own ingenuity and good luck, Bud makes it to Grand Rapids, where his "father" owns a club. Calloway, who is much older and grouchier than Bud imagined, is none too thrilled to meet a boy claiming to be his long-lost son. It is the other members of his band, Steady Eddie, Mr. Jimmy, Doug the Thug, Doo-Doo Bug Cross, Dirty Deed Breed and motherly Miss Thomas, who make Bud feel like he has finally arrived home. While the grim conditions of the times and the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis shines on them an aura of hope and optimism. And even when he sets up a daunting scenario, he makes readers laugh, for example, mopping floors for the rejecting Calloway, Bud pretends the mop is "that underwater boat in the book Momma read to me, Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea." Bud's journey, punctuated by Dickensian twists in plot and enlivened by a host of memorable personalities, will keep readers engrossed from first page to last. Ages 9-12. 

Grade 4-7-When 10-year-old Bud Caldwell runs away from his new foster home, he realizes he has nowhere to go but to search for the father he has never known: a legendary jazz musician advertised on some old posters his deceased mother had kept. A friendly stranger picks him up on the road in the middle of the night and deposits him in Grand Rapids, MI, with Herman E. Calloway and his jazz band, but the man Bud was convinced was his father turns out to be old, cold, and cantankerous. Luckily, the band members are more welcoming; they take him in, put him to work, and begin to teach him to play an instrument. In a Victorian ending, Bud uses the rocks he has treasured from his childhood to prove his surprising relationship with Mr. Calloway. The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist. Other characters are exaggerations: the good ones (the librarian and Pullman car porter who help him on his journey and the band members who embrace him) are totally open and supportive, while the villainous foster family finds particularly imaginative ways to torture their charge. However, readers will be so caught up in the adventure that they won't mind. Curtis has given a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud.- Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC 

Suggested Activities

Listen to the afterword from author Christopher Paul Curtis on the audio book version (available from Random House Audio.) Curtis tells how the book was inspired in part from the stories of his own grandfathers about life during the Depression. He ends with a charge to young readers to listen to and learn their own family stories. After reading the book, children can talk to their parents, grandparents, or other family members about these stories. They can share it in their classrooms or book discussion groups and then make their own storybook about it. 

Other Citations

Rev. of "Bud, Not Buddy." Publishers Weekly. Amazon.com: Bud, Not Buddy (Readers Circle (Laurel-Leaf)) (9780553494105): Christopher Paul Curtis: Books." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/39vcwqt>.

Issacs, Kathleen. Rev. of "Bud, Not Buddy." School Library Journal. Amazon.com: Bud, Not Buddy (Readers Circle (Laurel-Leaf)) (9780553494105): Christopher Paul Curtis: Books." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/39vcwqt>.

Module 2: Understood Betsy

Full Citation

Fisher, Dorothy Canfield. Understood Betsy. New York: Dell, 1993. Print.

Summary

Nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann is an orphan who is sheltered and smothered by her Aunt Francis. When Elizabeth Ann's great-aunt Harriet, Aunt Francis's mother, becomes ill and Aunt Francis has to move to a warmer climate to take care of her, city girl Elizabeth Ann is sent to live in rural Vermont with her relatives the Putneys (her great-uncle Henry, great-aunt Abigail, and second cousin Ann.) Though helping a troubled schoolmate, learning multiplication tables, and other adventures, Elizabeth Ann, dubbed "Betsy" by those around her has to learn to take care of herself and learn her own lessons for the first time, which comes in handy when her Aunt Francis comes to "rescue" her precious niece. 

My Impressions

I almost can't believe I have never heard of this book until a week ago; it's exactly the kind of book I would have enjoyed when I was Betsy's age. Though Fisher's narration tends to become patronizing at times, the story always remains enjoyable. I was so enthralled that I celebrated right along with Betsy whenever she made a new discovery about what she was capable of. As someone who was discouraged as as young girl reader by a perceived lack of books with "girl heroes", it's great to see a strong protagonist such as Betsy. I think both girls and boys will see parts of themselves in Betsy and enjoy the story (you can tell them it's okay to skip the moralizing.) 

What Other Critics Said


Anyone who fondly remembers how the fresh air of the moors puts a blush in the cheeks of sallow young Mary in The Secret Garden will love Dorothy Canfield Fisher's Understood Betsy just as much. First published in 1916, this engaging classic tells the tale of a thin, pale 9-year-old orphan named Elizabeth Ann who is whisked away from her city home and relocated to a Vermont farm where her cousins, the "dreaded Putneys," live. The Putneys are not as bad as her doting, high-strung Aunt Frances warns, however, and Elizabeth, who had been nurtured by her aunt like an overwatered sapling--positively blooms under their breezy, earthy care. Elizabeth Ann's first victories are small ones--taking the reins from Uncle Harry, doing her own hair, making her own breakfast--but children will revel in the awakening independence and growing self-confidence of a girl who learns to think for herself... and even laugh. Along the way, "citified" readers of all ages will get a glimpse into the lives of people who are truly connected to the world around them--making butter ("We always bought ours," says Elizabeth Ann), experiencing the "rapt wonder that people in the past were really people," and understanding the difference between failing in school and failing at life. Fisher is a wise, personable storyteller, steeped in the Montessori principles of learning for its own sake, the value of process, and the importance of "indirect support" in child rearing. She also captures the tempestuous emotional life of a child as few authors can, crafting a story that children will find deeply satisfying. And in the end, readers will have grown as fond of the happier, stronger "Betsy" as the gentle, unassuming Putneys have... (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson (1)


"Understood Betsy is as satisfying in its evocation of an earlier, simpler way of life as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, and psychologically more acute. Fisher is a master of presenting, in a low-key, humorous way, a 'New Englandy' way of doing and saying things . . . Understood Betsy is sure to delight a new generation of very busy, over-scheduled children whose own chances for early independence and initiative are limited. It may even teach their parents a thing or two about the best way to raise a child." --New York Times Book Review (2)

Suggested Activities


This story provides many opportunities for readers to put themselves in Betsy's shoes and think critically about what they would have done. The children can take a situation from the story, such as when Betsy's friend Molly has fallen in a pit or when Betsy and Molly are left stranded at the county fair and create a short skit or narrative about how they would have handled the situation. The life of Understood Betsy's author, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, is also very fascinating to study. Students, teachers, and librarians may especially be interested in learning more about the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award, which since 1957 has been given to a book selected by Vermont students. Past winners include classics such The Incredible Journey and Bunnicula and more recent favorites such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 


Other Citations


(1) Snelson, Karin. "Amazon.com: Understood Betsy (9788132026303): Dorothy Canfield: Books." Rev. of Understood Betsy. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 06 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/2aaxe55>.

(2) "Amazon.com: Understood Betsy (9788132026303): Dorothy Canfield: Books." Rev. of Understood Betsy. New York Times Book Review. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 06 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/2aaxe55>.

Module 2: Caps for Sale

Full Citation
Slobodkina, Esphyr. Caps for Sale; a Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys & Their Monkey Business;. New York: W. R. Scott, 1947. Print.


Summary


A hat peddler takes an unusual approach to hawking his wares: he wears his caps stacked one on top of the other as he walks up and down the street. After one fruitless morning, he goes for a walk in the country and takes a nap under a big tree. When he wakes up, all but his own cap are gone; they have been taken by some mischievous monkeys. It takes a bit of "monkey see, monkey do" on the peddler's part to get his pilfered merchandise back.

My Impressions


I was only slightly familiar with the book before I read, but I can see now why it's a classic. It's got all the makings of a children's favorite: lots of repetition both in the narrative and illustrations and lots of adorable animals, monkeys in this case. It's definitely a book that gets more enjoyable with every reading.

What Other Reviewers Said


Subtitled A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business, this absurd and very simple story has become a classic, selling hundreds of thousands of copies since its first publication in 1940. A peddler walks around selling caps from a tall, tottering pile on his head. Unable to sell a single cap one morning, he walks out into the countryside, sits down under a tree, checks that all the caps are in place, and falls asleep. When he wakes up, the caps are gone--and the tree is full of cap-wearing monkeys. His attempts to get the caps back generate the kind of repetitive rhythm that 3- and 4-year-olds will adore. (Preschool and older) --Richard Farr --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. (1)

Good natured nonsense tale in text and pictures. The text is almost unnecessary as text and pictures tell the story of the peddler who fell asleep and had his whole stock in trade of colored caps stolen by the monkeys. And of how mere chance made him do the one thing that persuaded the monkeys to throw away the caps. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. (2)

Suggested Activities


Play a variation on "Simon Says" which I call "Monkey Business": have the children stand up and copy your actions just like the monkeys copy the peddler. Be silly and be sure to give some of the kids a chance to lead! You can also watch the Reading Rainbow episode "A Three Hat Day" (available on VHS.) The book highlighted is a sweet story of a man named R. R. Pottle the Third who really loves hats (and likes to stack them almost as much as the peddler.) Host LeVar Burton introduces viewers the many roles hats can play in the jobs of different people, such as jockeys, hockey goalies, and (miniature) railroad conductors. Caps for Sale gets a brief plug near the end.

Other Citations


(1) Farr, Richard. "Amazon.com: Caps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book) (9780064433136): Esphyr Slobodkina: Books." Rev. of Caps for Sale. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 05 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/27b3xal>.

(2) "Amazon.com: Caps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book) (9780064433136): Esphyr Slobodkina: Books." Rev. of Caps for Sale. Kirkus Reviews. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 06 Sept. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/27b3xal>.

Module 1: Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

Full Citation 
Crimi, Carolyn, and John Manders. Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2005. Print.

Summary

The Henry who makes up the first half of the title is the son of Barnacle Black Ear, the captain of the Salty Carrot and the leader of a band of rabbit pirates called the "Buccaneer Bunnies." According to the author, "When pirates on other ships saw their long floppy ears and fluffy white tails, they shook with fear." Henry, however, would much rather spend his time reading books than partaking in pirate activities, much to the dismay of his father and the ridicule of the crew. When a storm shipwrecks the Salty Carrot, Henry is the one able to step up and to save the day with all the knowledge he has gleaned from reading. 

My Impressions

Aye, I verily lo'ed this book, argh! (Translation: I really loved this book!) The author found a cute and fresh way to show the value of reading and learning. The idea of making rabbits, usually portrayed in children's literature as cute and harmless, into fearsome pirates was a clever twist. I agree with the reviewers in the following section that the illustrations are the best aspect of the book. I love all the little touches the illustrator put in. For example, in one scene Henry is reading a book which the pictures identify as "The Old Hare and the Sea" even though the narrative never does. Both children and adults will love re-reading the book over and over again just to catch all the little details such as that. This would make a great story time selection for any public library, school library, or classroom because of its lively dialogue and storyline.

What Other Reviewers Said

PreS-Gr. 2. As the pirate ship The Salty Carrot sails the high seas, all of the rabbit pirates pitch in to help with the duties except Henry, the captain's son, who prefers to read. After their ship succumbs to a storm, the rabbits find that Henry's trunks of books can act as life rafts, which transport them to a desert island. On land, Henry's vast book learning becomes invaluable, and he provides the rabbit crew with food, shelter, and a means of escape. Manders' watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations are the highlight of this effort. His rabbit pirates have huge buckteeth and look especially comical toward the end of the book, when they are elaborately decked out in eighteenth-century finery, including feathered hats and lace trim. Bookworm Henry is rather stereotypically portrayed with huge glasses hung from a string. A story on the joys and usefulness of reading is nothing new, but the funny Buccaneer Bunnies should provide some interest, even to children who are not inspired by the lesson. -Todd Morning (1)

K-Gr 2-Henry is not a typical buccaneer bunny. Instead of performing his proper pirating duties, he would rather read the books that he took from other ships. His father, the captain, is not proud of his son and the rest of the crew makes fun of him. When they are shipwrecked on a deserted island, however, it is Henry and his "book smarts" that save the day. Although the plot is weak, the illustrations are fresh and comical, and send a clear message about the importance of reading.-Lisa S. Schindler, Bethpage Public Library, NY (2)

Suggested Activities

With Talk Like a Pirate Day coming up on September 19th, now is the perfect time to plan a kid-friendly pirate party/story-time! The kids can don their eye-patches and pirate hats as they hear the adventures of Henry and the Salty Carrot crew. Then you can read other pirate books such as How I Became a Pirate or do an activity, such as a crossword puzzle of pirate terms like "landlubber" and "buccaneer". At the end, if you have some donated books, each child can take one home with them from a treasure chest. 

Other Citations

(1) Morning, Todd.  "Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. " Rev. of: Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, The Booklist  1 Dec. 2005: Research Library, ProQuest. Web.  28 Aug. 2010.

(2) Schindler, Lisa S.  "Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. " Rev. of: Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, School Library Journal  1 Nov. 2005: Research Library, ProQuest. Web.  28 Aug. 2010.